• Home
  • Stories
    • News
    • Fundy Albert Newsletter
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Ghost Stories
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Health & Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails
  • Footloose In Fundy Albert
Connecting Albert County

environment

Rising Seas

20/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Deborah Carr

The maps caught my attention as soon as I walked in the room at a recent Sea Level Rise workshop. The colourful depictions of predicted high water zones for the year 2100 were spread out over three tables. I looked more closely. The Alma Wharf, Parkland Village Inn and Alma Lobster Shop were in flood zones. So were Water Street and the crossroads at 915/114 in Riverside-Albert. The Railway Diner and Golf Club Road in Hillsborough. Grey’s Island will be an island, again. These were just some of the vulnerable areas identified in the three villages.


PictureHighwater zones in Hillsborough are identified in red. (click to enlarge)
Suddenly climate change and sea level rise became more real, more compelling, and more critically important.  Because this is home. And home is at risk. Imagine the low-lying areas in Hillsborough if the Petitcodiac rises the predicted two metres by 2100.  Dykes or not, the marshes will be underwater.

Certainly, we’ve all been made aware of significant climate changes over the past decade and predicted changes for NB paint a grim picture: increased storms and intensity, flooding, changing river levels, droughts. Last month’s flooding along the Saint John River Valley shows clearly how devastating and costly rising water can be.

This ‘Sea Level Rise’ Workshop was delivered by Raissa Marks and Zaheera Dahneen of the NB Environmental Network.  They provided flood mapping for the three coastal villages, but a second workshop will be held later this year to include the highways and areas in between Alma, Riverside-Albert and Hillsborough.  
The most critical issue of our time

Despite the fact that scientists have been warning us since the 80s, terms like Global Warming, Climate Change and Sea Level Rise have only recently been elevated in the media.  Global warming is the most critical issue of our time. Whether or not the planet remains habitable for human life is in our hands.
PictureFlood zones in Riverside-Albert identified by light blue. Participants were asked to paste circles on the map to identify landmarks. (click to enlarge)
No one can predict exactly what will take place if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and polar ice caps continue to melt, but scientists from around the world have collaborated to create four distinct scenarios ranging from best case (we reduce use of fossil fuels enough that CO2 emissions peak by 2020, then drop drastically) to worst case (we continue consuming fossil fuels at our current rate).

Sure, we’re looking ahead 80 years. It may be easy to say, ‘I’ll be gone, so I don’t care,’ but we have a responsibility to help fix what we’ve broken for future generations and the effects are being felt already. Human beings are causing climate change, largely by burning fossil fuels. Will this be our legacy to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

One participant pointed out that New Brunswick simply cannot afford the costs associated with climate adaptation. Our only option is to work harder at reducing the use of fossil fuels, and hope we can attain a ‘less-than-worst-case’ scenario. Fixing this isn’t as hard as one would imagine. We currently have the technology to make significant  changes, but so far, the political will to lead is weak and inadequate. This will only improve with public pressure.

Since the coal-burning era of 1850 onward, greenhouse gas emissions have increased 150%. We’ve a responsibility to the future generations to adjust our lifestyles, decrease our consumptive habits, and to push our political leaders to take more concrete and decisive steps towards reducing GHG emissions, and to provide us with better, cleaner energy choices.

PictureThe Village of Alma flood zones shown in brown. (click to enlarge)
Why sea levels are rising:

Greenhouse gases contribute to a warmer climate, which speeds up the melting of glaciers and ice caps. As oceans continue increasing in volume through this meltwater, they are also absorbing 90% of the heat generated by global warming. And warm water takes up more space than cold water.

Previous 2012 calculations anticipated a rise of 0.85 metre (2.75 feet), but the latest prediction is that the global sea level will be one metre (3.25 feet) higher than current levels by 2100; two metres (6.5 feet) along the Bay of Fundy.

And if our ‘worst case’ keeps steadily increasing, we may see greater changes, sooner. (See this recent article on ice melt in Antarctica.)

The Bay of Fundy tides are also amplifying. In his 2014 report on sea level rise predictions for New Brunswick, meteorologist Réal Daigle predicts a 30cm (1 foot) increase in the Fundy tides, in addition to global sea rise.

Land Movement
Predictions are complicated because the melting ice cap also removes immense pressure from the Earth’s crust and the crust rebounds (rises), which causes subsidence (sinking) in other areas. Think of lifting a crust of floating ice. As you slip your fingers underneath and lift one end, the opposite end sinks. So, as the land rebounds further north, here on the Bay of Fundy, and at points south, coastal land subsides.
Picture
What can we do now?

It's important for communities to be aware of what lies ahead, and for people to begin having conversations about climate change. Keeping a worst case scenario in mind is important for all future coastal developments. From a community planning perspective, there are several ways to reduce the risk and prepare for rising seas:

  • Protect:  Creating natural or man-made infrastructure to help maintain the shorelines and prevent erosion. Such as the new seawall in Alma.  As one participant pointed out, trees prevent erosion too, so it’s important to preserve forests, particularly along coastal areas.
  • Accommodate: Manage the way we use coastal areas to minimize the risk to humans and infrastructure. And maintaining wetlands and marshes as they are important buffer zones.
  • Retreat: Relocating existing structures further inland away from flood zones.
  • Avoid: Preventing new developments in low lying areas, areas vulnerable to erosion, and flood risk zones. 


This program was developed by the Ecology Action Centre and Fisheries and Oceans Canada as part of an Educating Coastal Communities About Sea-level Rise (ECoAS) Project. The project was designed to translate scientific climate change research into usable information to educate coastal communities within Atlantic Canada about the need for planning for future sea-level rise impacts.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Environment
    Thanks to our Advertisers! 
    ​

    ​Connecting Albert County would like to thank the following supporters & advertisers:

    Platinum 
    - Bennett and Albert County Health Care (BACH) Foundation  
    ​- Horizon Health Network Resiliency Committee
    ​​- Hon. Rob Moore, MP for Fundy Royal
    ​- Village of Fundy Albert


    Gold
    - CBDC Westmorland Albert 

    Silver 
    - Albert County Funeral Home 
     - Friends of Fundy

    Bronze supporters
    - ​Albert County Pharmacy
    - Crooked Creek Convenience 
    - Jeff MacDougall, SouthEastern Mutual Insurance
    - McCarthy Construction 
    - NBSCF


    If you would like to support Connecting Albert County, visit our Advertising page or Donation page. With your support, we can continue to share the news of rural Albert County.

    Comments
    We welcome comments to our blog postings. Please provide your email address and name with your comment, and respect our content guidelines.​

    Archives

    February 2025
    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    September 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    January 2023
    August 2022
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    Acadian Forest
    Aerial View
    Albert County
    Albert County Community Health Centre
    Alma
    Alma Beach
    Alma Wharf
    Amazing Places
    Anemone
    Anniversary
    Apps
    Atlantic Salmon
    Autumn
    Bay Of Fundy
    Bee Bash
    Bee Wise Beekeeping
    Biodiversity
    Bird
    Birds
    Birds Day
    Birdwatching
    Black-capped Chickadee
    Blue Carbon
    Blue Jay
    Boardwalk
    Boating
    Broadleaf Ranch
    Cabins
    Caledonia Gorge
    Camping
    Cape Enrage
    Carbon
    Cecropia Moth
    Chickadee
    Christmas Bird Count
    Clean Up
    Clear Cut
    Clear-cut
    Clearcutting
    Climate Change
    Community
    Community Activism
    Community Garden
    Connecting Albert County Newsletter
    Conservation
    Conserved Area
    Crooked Creek
    Destruction
    Dobson Trail
    Dykelands
    ECO360
    Eco Friendly
    Eco-Friendly
    Ecoregion
    Elephant Rock
    Elgin Eco-Association
    Endangered Species
    Environment
    Erosion
    Fall Prevention
    Fat Bikes
    Fat Biking
    FHTA
    Fiddleheads
    Fireflies
    Flashbacks
    Flowerpot Rocks
    Flowers
    Foods Of The Fundy Valley
    Footpath
    Forest
    Friends Of Fundy
    Friends Of Fundy/Fundy Guild Inc.
    Fundy
    Fundy Biosphere
    Fundy Biosphere Reserve
    Fundy Farms
    Fundy Guild
    Fundy Hiking Trails
    Fundy National Park
    Fundy Park
    Fundy Parkway
    Fundy Pollinator Trail
    Fundy Salmon Recovery
    Fundy's Cape Enrage
    Fundy Trail
    Fundy Trail Parkway
    Garbage
    Garden
    Gardening
    Gardens
    Giant Hogweed
    Glamping
    Glass
    Glass Recycling
    GNB Nature Legacy
    Greys Island
    Grindstone Island
    Groups
    Guided Tour
    Hanging Baskets
    Harvey Hall
    Hazardous Household Waste
    Hiking
    Hiking Trails
    Hillsborough
    Hopewell Rocks
    IBoF
    Insects
    International Space Station
    Invasive Species
    Kayak
    Kayaking
    Lady Beetles
    Ladybugs
    Landmarks
    Local Food
    Low Tide Ecosystem
    Luna Moth
    Map
    Maritime Detours
    Mary Majka
    Mary Majka Scholarship
    Meadowhawk
    Mobile Ecodepot
    Molly Kool
    Monopoly
    Music
    Naturalist
    Nature
    Nature Conservancy Of Canada
    Nature Legacy
    Nature NB
    Nature Trust NB
    NB
    New Brunswick
    Old-growth Forest
    Organizations
    Outside Explorations With Children
    Photos
    Plaex
    Plastic Waste
    Pollinators
    Protected Areas
    Protected Land
    Recycling
    Resource
    Riverside Albert
    Riverside-Albert
    Roads
    Rock Formations
    Rosy Maple Moth
    Rte 114
    Safety
    Salmon
    Salt Marsh
    Science
    Season Opening
    Shepody Ba
    Shepody River
    Shoreline
    Skits
    Spring
    Stage Production
    St. Martins
    Student
    Sustainability
    Teacher
    Theatre
    The Narwhal
    Tide
    Tide Table
    Tourism
    Trail Clean Up
    Trails
    Trail Use
    Travel
    Upper Bay Of Fundy
    Volunteer
    Walking
    Walking On Ice
    Waste Collection
    Water Exploration
    Waterfalls
    Water Supply
    Wetlands
    White Rock
    Wilderness
    Wildlife
    Wild Parsnip
    Winter
    Winter Activities
    Winter Hiking
    Winter Wildlife
    Women Of The Wilderness
    WOW
    Yurt

    RSS Feed

CONTACT
ADVERTISING
CALENDAR
PUBLICATION

SiteLock
Copyright © Connecting Albert County, 2025 | Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada
  • Home
  • Stories
    • News
    • Fundy Albert Newsletter
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Ghost Stories
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Health & Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails
  • Footloose In Fundy Albert